Ja Morant Is A Unique Superstar. He’s Also Taking The Next Step
Last night in the NBA was (at a loss for words). There was just so much going on. From an inside joke with the Knicks, Ja Morant’s incredible 3rd season, my Blazers’ continued attempts to try and make me go insane, and much, much more.
There was a lot to break down last night and I certainly did my best to cover everything that happened last night.
Portland Trail Blazers
I don’t even have words for this stuff anymore. This stuff happened frequently when Terry Stotts was the coach and I’ve already seen this type of stuff happening in this young season. Losing games that we should be winning. It’s already happened twice this season.
For years, Portland was good at beating up crappy teams but then falling short against good teams. After a loss to the Hornets, where Dame again struggled and the defense was poor, this was a chance to wipe the slate clean. Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris were all out of this game. Andre Drummond was starting at center. This was going to be a good way to erase that loss to the Hornets.
Instead, the defense still sucks, the energy is poor, and Portland loses 113-103. Of course, they did.
Damian Lillard Is Still Off
After a few good games, it seemed like Damian Lillard was waiting to explode for 40 points. That night still hasn’t come yet. Lillard again struggled against the 76ers, who weren’t at their full strength defensively. His jump shot continues to be off and his scoring is down across the board.
He still has a lot of gravity on the floor and he gets assists still, but we’ve lost games this year because of Damian Lillard. I really can’t say that’s ever happened before.
He’s shooting just 23% from 3-PT range while also shooting 9.3 three-pointers per game. Overall, Dame is just shooting just 35% from the field. It’s by far the worst offensive season of his career and if Portland wants to win, he has to play at the high level we all know he can.
A Tale Of Two Units
The Blazers starting unit was something I didn’t expect to be complaining about this season. Last year, with Norman Powell, it was one of the few things that worked. But this season, I have liked what I’ve seen from the bench more than the starters if I’m being honest.
The bench has given us great energy. Nassir Little is finally making an impact. Cody Zeller and Larry Nance Jr. have been great additions to the frontcourt. Anfernee Simons is a microwave scorer. The bench unit has been great and they were better than the starters in this game.
Damian Lillard was a -16 in this game.
CJ McCollum was a -14.
Norman Powell was a -12.
Meanwhile, nobody on the bench was worse than a -1. They thoroughly outplayed the starters in this game and they were the reason this game was even remotely close.
The bench has exceeded my expectations this season, but the starters have to play with that same type of energy. If not, then we’re going to keep seeing results like this.
It’s already looking like this season will be similar to last season. The defense still isn’t where it needs to be, the offense can’t keep us in games because of it, and we’re not being as good as we should.
It’s honestly embarrassing that this team, year after year, just doesn’t change. I don’t think Chauncey Billups can do a whole lot more than he’s doing, which is a scary reality for this team. Even if Dame started to play as he normally does, this team still has its flaws. And that’s frustrating.
Denver Nuggets vs Memphis Grizzlies
This was a good game between two excellently coached teams. Both Denver and Memphis have gotten off to solid starts this season and this game was close throughout.
But between Denver’s shooting woes and MPJ’s struggles, the Grizzlies controlled the game. It was another night with balanced scoring for Memphis and they got a win to avoid losing 3 out of their last 4 games. Let’s break this game down.
Denver Nuggets
What has happened to their offense? The defense has carried them thus far, but the offense has fallen flat. MPJ is struggling, but even with Denver’s supreme depth, the offense isn’t clicking. It’s holding them back.
Seriously Though, What Is Wrong With The Offense?
When you have Nikola Jokic and MPJ running things, the offense shouldn’t be a problem. The Nuggets offense has been elite over the past few seasons, even without Jamal Murray. They have always been good offensively, but it’s just been different this season. Why is that?
10.6 3-PM (25th)
30.1 3-PT% (28th)
9.3 FTM (30th)
13.9 FTA (30th)
7.9 ORB (27th)
17.9 Turnovers (29th)
I think it’s obvious to see why Denver is struggling. They are giving up a lot of possessions and they aren’t creating many 2nd chance opportunities for themselves. They aren’t putting pressure on opposing defenses, as they are last in both free throw attempts and makers per game. They also can’t shoot.
The Nuggets need to fix these things. They need more turnovers, more 2nd chance points, and less turnovers. To be honest, I’m not totally worried about the Nuggets’ shooting just yet. Thet have good shooters, so I don’t think the shooting will be this bad all season.
The offense being this bad is concerning. It was perfectly fine without Jamal Murray last season, but shots just aren’t falling right now for Denver. Until they get that turned around, it’s going to be hard for them to win games.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have gotten off to a good start this season. Even with their weird offseason, an injury to Dillion Brooks, the young Grizzlies haven’t missed a beat. There are a lot of reasons for that, but I think that this game shows how dangerous they can be.
The Grizzlies Are Insanely Deep
Even without Dillon Brooks, the Grizzlies have 9-10 guys in their rotation that would make every roster. You don’t see that with very many teams in the NBA, but the Grizzlies are unique this way. They have so much young talent, guys who can do so many different things.
In this game, the Grizzlies played 10 guys, each one of them playing 10+ minutes. Guys like Brandon Clarke and Jarrett Culver, two former first-round picks, aren’t cracking this rotation. Of those 10 guys the Grizzlies played last night? Every single one of them had a positive plus/minus. Do you know how insane that is? Every player Taylor Jenkins put in made a positive impact.
Did I mention Dillon Brooks is hurt yet?
Ja Morant Is Everything Memphis Needs Him To Be
Ja Morant is a unique superstar. Ever since his electric rookie season, it’s clear Morant is an alpha. He’s the perfect embodiment of a blue-collar, hard-working team like Memphis. I hate to jump the gun, but not only has Morant taken another jump, but he might also be the best player from the 2019 NBA Draft.
And I wouldn’t be saying that if Ja Morant couldn’t back that up. So far this season, he’s been able to.
28.3 points – 5.4 rebounds – 7.7 assists – 1.7 steals – 62% TS
Ja Morant has been incredible this season. His scoring has taken an incredible leap thanks to his improved outside shooting and his aggressiveness at getting to the rim. He is still very efficient and still making sure to create for his teammates. Here are some things I noticed while researching how Morant is taking this monumental leap.
- Ja Morant has been lethal in isolation this season. He’s shooting 63% from the field (15/24) in isolation and he’s scoring 1.32 points every time he isolates. He’s been one of the best isolation players in the NBA thus far.
- Morant has also been good in the pick-and-rolls. He’s shooting 48% from the field (26/54) in pick-and-rolls, which is good. The problem is that he has a 17% turnover rate. That has to go down.
- Like always, Morant is excellent when going down hill. He’s averaging a whopping 21.6 drives per game and he’s shooting 57% from the field on 10.3 shot attempts per game. Morant is averaging 13.4 points per game off of drives and that leads the league.
- Morant is shooting 38/58 (66%) from the restricted area. Morant is 3rd in the league in field goal makes from the restricted area. Friendly reminder that he’s 6’3″.
- Morant is also shooting 12/34 (35%) from the 3-PT line above the break. That’s an improvement from last season (31%).
The best part about Morant’s game is that he seems like he’s not scoring enough. Even though he’s scoring a lot better than he has in the past, Morant is still being unselfish. I love how he’s playing and the way that he carries himself. He is the perfect leader for the Grizzlies.
Similar to last year, the Grizzlies are an incredibly deep team. The defense remains good, but with the leap Ja Morant has taken this season? Maybe it’s time for them to push for the playoffs. They have the depth and the coaching to do it.
They’re one of the teams of the future in the Western Conference and this could be the year where they finally breakthrough.
The Celtics Are A Mess
The Boston Celtics have had a rocky start to the 2022 season. Their roster lacks depth, they rely too heavily on their stars, and they have not lived up to their higher expectations set by some (not me.) Against a Bulls team that was rolling, the Celtics took a stand.
Through 3 quarters, the Celtics were accomplishing that. Tatum and Brown were dominating. The Celtics were shooting 15/25 (60%) from 3-PT range. They were dominating, leading by 14 entering the 4th quarter. The Celtics had been up by 19 at one point.
Then came what can only be described as The 4th Quarter From Hell. If you think you’ve seen bad quarters of basketball, allow me to introduce you to The 4th Quarter From Hell.
5/23 Shooting (22%)
0/8 3-PT
11 Points
0 Defensive Rebounds
Outscored 39-11 (28-point swing)
That was horrendous. The Celtics couldn’t get stops and their offense shut down. They collapsed and the Bulls dominated the 4tn quarter en route to a win. This alone would have been bad, continuing a poor start to the season for the Celtics. But the real damage was done after the game.
I would love to defend Tatum and Brown here, but…
Sorry Jay’s, Statmuse has you here.
Bing Bong
Knicks fans are having fun and they just don’t care. I’m here for it.
(I’m going to need Mike Breen to say Bang Bong in a close game. Then this joke will have reached its peak form.)
What Are Your Thoughts From Yesterday’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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